Chiropractic or bodywork for “unwillingness to circle”?

Megan — Fri, 15 May 2009 21:31:34 +0000

Hi Megan,
Jazzy seems to be having some unwillingness to circle to the left. I am wondering if he needs a chiropractic adjustment. In your opinion is chiro the best way to address an issue like this or would some other body work possibly be better?

Thanks!

Heather

Hi Heather,

Well, of course my opinion is biased, but it’s still pretty safe to say that it’s more likely a horse (or other species) can have soft tissue issues (muscle problems, among others) without necessarily needing chiropractic care than the other way around. Sometimes if the chiropractic issue is from a sudden and recent event, like a fall, an adjustment alone is all that’s needed to ‘put things right’ and move on. More typically, the chiropractic issues come from a cumulative effect of muscle/connective tissue imbalances that are best addressed with a combination of chiropractic and massage, though either alone can be successful in individual cases.

If a horse is actually “lame” I much prefer to wait and have the chiropractic vet see the horse first, unless I can simply get there sooner and the vet OKs bodywork to precede their appointment. If there’s not a distinct lameness, such as Jazzy’s case (you described “some unwillingness to circle left”), and you want to try bodywork first and see how it goes, I think that’s a reasonable option. Also quite fine to start with the chiropractor instead of course. Whichever work is done first (chiropractic or massage/bodywork) helps the other, so there’s not really a right or wrong order to do them in, in my opinion. In my practice, that decision has more to do with the vet’s and/or owner’s preferences (assuming, again, that the horse is not in any acute stage of lameness or other health concerns that should be seen by a vet first).

Hope that helps!

~Megan

Nervous or ticklish dogs like Buster

Megan — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 05:10:13 +0000

Welcome to my “Ask Megan” Blog on animal massage! I’m starting this blog off with an “inaugural” question from Sammy. She’s getting started with learning dog massage by reading my new book, The Dog Lover’s Guide to Massage: What Your Dog Wants You to Know, available soon at www.AllAboutAnimalMassage.com .

Hi Megan!

Here are some of the questions I have about when I practice massaging my dogs…

Since Spike is so little, I just gave him a massage while he was sitting on my lap. Is that ok to do? Or should he be in a certain position next to me? He seemed to really enjoy the massage though, he was yawning, taking deep breathes and shutting his eyes.

Buster on the other hand, he seems to get really nervous when i try to massage him. He kind of pulls away and looks at me like he doesn’t like it. Is that normal? Is there some kind of a technique to relax him? I was thinking that maybe he is just really ticklish?

My Reply: Yes, Sammy, it’s great to massage your dog when he’s sitting in your lap as long as he’s comfortable there. It sounds like he was! And that can be the easiest for your own body mechanics, too, if it works.

As for Buster, yes, his response to his first massage is really very common. It’s one clue for us that massage is really not the same as petting. It’s more “structured” in the process, and much more focused in intent. This can be overwhelming to anyone at first, especially a small or nervous animal. Even if it’s not overwhelming, it can take some time to learn about it and adjust to the new way of communicating and spending time together.

Being ticklish is also very possible, but that, to me, is a sign that something could be better for Buster and his body. In fact, regular massage or other types of bodywork can often help a lot with decreasing ticklishness over time.

For now, try focusing on Techniques 3, 5 and 9 from the book and see if he warms up to any or all of those. If those are still too much for him, try using the back of your hand/knuckles to just do some easy rubbing. (The palm and fingers can be more intense for some.) Keep your sessions very short, even 20 seconds if necessary (though you can probably do several minutes pretty soon, maybe right away with those suggestions).

You may have to be a little persistent and encourage him to try, but it’s very important that he knows he can say “no” if it’s really too much. Ideally you’ll leave him wanting more each time, rather than trying to do too much. With a more nervous dog like Buster, helping him learn to enjoy massage can dramatically change what their experience of the world and life is like, so hang in there, and enjoy the process, and let me know how it goes!

All About Animal Massage Blog

Chiropractic or bodywork for “unwillingness to circle”?

Nervous or ticklish dogs like Buster